|
-
Flash Fire
- Grants immunity to Fire-type moves and increases the power of Fire-type moves by 50% when hit by a Fire-type move.
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Guts
- Attack is increased by 50% when afflicted with status.
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Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
65
|
- |
271 |
334 |
- |
| Atk |
130
|
266 |
296 |
359 |
394 |
| Def |
60
|
140 |
156 |
219 |
240 |
| SpA |
95
|
203 |
226 |
289 |
317 |
| SpD |
110
|
230 |
256 |
319 |
350 |
| Spe |
65
|
149 |
166 |
229 |
251 |
Overview
While many Pokemon have suffered at the hands of Game Freak's strange and unusual methods, Flareon has been one of the most disadvantaged. While its fellow Eeveelutions made it to the limelights of OU and UU, Flareon was left to play with other misfits in the dark depths of NU. Flareon's Attack stat might make it seem worthy of being one of the top threats in the tier, but unfortunately, Flareon has very few moves to utilize it; its strongest physical STAB move since its release in RBY is the measly Fire Fang! However, Flareon has managed to carve out a niche in NU thanks to its unique defensive typing, ability, and above-average Special Defense stat, which, when put together, let Flareon wall NU powerhouses, such as Charizard and Exeggutor. The combination of Wish, Protect, and Heal Bell also helps to keep Flareon and its teammates healthy. Unfortunately, Flareon's physical Defense stat is rather lackluster, which exposes it to common physical attackers such as Golem and Samurott. Flareon's typing also means that it loses 25% of its HP each time it switches into the ubiquitous Stealth Rock, to say nothing of Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Although Flareon may not be the tier's bulkiest special wall, its ability to wall some of the tier's most powerful sweepers guarantees it a spot on many teams.
Flareon makes an excellent counter to many common special attackers, such as Charizard. Unfortunately, residual damage from Stealth Rock and weak attacks easily wear it down. Wish and Protect form a popular combo that simultaneously lets Flareon reliably restore its HP, scout the opponent's attack, and hoard Leftovers recovery. Though Flareon's Special Attack is its lower offensive stat, Lava Plume is chosen as it has a significantly higher Base Power than any of Flareon's physical STAB attacks. Although the 30% burn chance is Lava Plume's greatest advantage, it might conflict with other status conditions Flareon might want to inflict, such as Toxic. Therefore, Flareon can instead opt to run Flamethrower, which has an even higher Base Power and a lower burn chance. Heal Bell is the main option in the last slot, as it turns Flareon into a dedicated team supporter able to fully revitalize its teammates by curing them of unwanted status. Alternatively, Roar lets Flareon phaze out Pokemon hoping to set up on it, but it requires significant prediction to use as many powerful setup sweepers, such as Gorebyss and Samurott, can significantly hurt Flareon even without any boosts. Toxic is a staple for most walls and, along with the Wish + Protect combo, allows Flareon to Toxic stall many Pokemon.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Flareon's HP and Special Defense stats, though great, are not amazing, and it needs all the special bulk it can get to take on powerhouses such as Charizard. Thus, it should always invest fully in in both HP and Special Defense, and run a Calm nature. The remainder is placed in Special Attack to give Flareon's chosen Fire STAB a bit more power. Leftovers grants Flareon recovery every turn and is great in conjunction with Protect; Flareon can use Protect to gain extra health, which might let it survive the subsequent attack.
Flareon's walling capabilities are restricted by its Fire typing and poor Defense stat, so Pokemon such as Tangela and Torterra are great teammates. Tangela can easily take Water- and Ground-type attacks, while Torterra can sponge Rock-type attacks and halt most setup sweepers with its own Roar if Flareon chooses not to run the move. Together, they create a Fire, Water, and Grass core that can be extremely hard to break through. Alomomola is another great teammate as it has immense physical walling capabilities and can act as another Wish-passer to keep your team healthy. Flareon's typing leaves it vulnerable to all entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, which strips off a quarter of its HP every time it switches in. Spikes and Toxic Spikes also hinder Flareon's longevity; the latter in particular leaves Flareon on a timer unless it uses Heal Bell every time it switches in. Spinners are thus great teammates for Flareon. Wartortle can take most Water-, Ground-, and Rock-type moves and spin away hazards; it also appreciates Flareon's Wish support as it has no reliable recovery move of its own.
Other Options
Flareon really got the short end of the stick in terms of its physical movepool. Its strongest physical STAB attack is the rather terrible Fire Fang, while its coverage moves consist of Bite, Superpower, and Iron Tail. A Choice Band set can be used to make the best of Flareon's superb Attack stat, but it is overall outclassed by Combusken. Flareon can also Baton Pass moves such as Curse, Work Up, and Flame Charge; while it can rarely utilize them itself, it could easily give one of its teammates the opportunity to sweep. Hidden Power Rock is another interesting move that rarely finds its way onto one of Flareon's sets; it makes taking on Charizard much easier, although Flareon can easily Toxic stall it without fear. Return is also another viable option for some additional coverage, letting Flareon hit the aforementioned Fire-types while also dealing very high damage to Gorebyss and Samurott, dealing decent damage of Flareon's high Attack. Fake Tears is a rather uncommon move that has some utility on Flareon. It can act as a pseudo-hazing move to force the opponent to switch out or take an extremely powerful special attack on their lowered Special Defense. Flareon can set up Sunny Day, and is overall a great choice for sun teams as it can also absorb the Fire-type attacks that often give them trouble, as well as support the team with Wish and Heal Bell. Finally, Flareon's DW ability, Guts, sends its Attack stat through the roof when it is inflicted with status. Unfortunately, some moves are illegal with Guts and Flareon loses its main niche in sponging Fire-type attacks.
Checks and Counters
Flareon isn't very difficult to counter as it has numerous weaknesses to common moves in the tier. Stealth Rock should be one's first priority when trying to eliminate Flareon as it compromises Flareon's walling ability and leaves it more susceptible to powerful special attacks. The commonly seen Golem and Regirock can both set up Stealth Rock and shatter Flareon with Stone Edge or Earthquake. Physically attacking Water-types, such as Samurott and Floatzel, can easily wipe Flareon out with Waterfall or set up with Swords Dance and Rain Dance respectively. However, they must be careful of a well-timed Roar or Toxic on the switch. Most fast physical sweepers can easily put a stop to Flareon by preying on Flareon's rather pitiful Defense stat; Sawk and Braviary both come to mind as powerful physical attackers that can easily OHKO Flareon. However, all of the aforementioned Pokemon must be wary of a burn from Lava Plume as it renders them almost useless. Gurdurr is an exception, though; as it only gets stronger with status, it can switch into Flareon with impunity. It should be careful of setting up against Flareon, however, as Flareon can Roar it out and remove all its boosts. Toxic and Toxic Spikes both reduce Flareon's walling capabilities dramatically; even if it runs Heal Bell, the opponent will eventually be able to status Flareon as Heal Bell only has a measly 8 PP.
